Aaron Glenn must be ready to make painful Justin Fields decision in Week 7

New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has repeatedly expressed his unwavering support for Justin Fields over the last few weeks. The first-year head coach has gone above and beyond — emphasis on beyond — to maintain public confidence in his quarterback, even if much of his defense hasn't been entirely justified.

Glenn has continued to insist that Fields is not the problem with the Jets' offense and that the team has no plans to even consider the possibility of a quarterback change at this time.

He even went as far as to compare Fields to the likes of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen when asked about his quarterback's league-highest average time to throw this week. Glenn will stop at nothing to defend his QB.

But at a certain stage, Glenn will reach a point where his continued blind defense does more than just protect the feelings and confidence of his starting quarterback — he'll start to alienate his other players.

And if Fields struggles again in today’s Week 7 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, that point may very well be reached, if it hasn’t been already.

The Jets must prepare to bench Justin Fields today if necessary

Fields' performance in the Jets' 13-11 loss to the Denver Broncos a week ago was one of the most inept by a Jets quarterback in recent memory. The former Ohio State standout was sacked nine times, completed just nine passes for 45 yards, and single-handedly lost his team a very winnable game.

The Jets put together a near-perfect performance outside of their quarterback. The defense was outstanding. The special teams consistently set the offense up for success. 90% of other quarterbacks in the NFL, Tyrod Taylor included, win that game on Sunday.

Fields simply didn’t have it, much like he hasn’t for most of his Jets tenure. Aside from a genuinely impressive showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, he’s been bad to downright unplayable in nearly every other game this season.

Frustration is already boiling over in the Jets’ locker room. Several players reportedly view Taylor as the team’s best quarterback and the one most likely to give them a chance to win. Meanwhile, multiple others were seen visibly dejected or complaining on the field during Sunday’s loss.

Glenn risks losing the support of not just the fan base and the media but also of his own players if he continues to stick by Fields despite his struggles. Realistically, this should be Fields' final opportunity to prove he should remain the starter.

If Fields delivers a performance even remotely resembling his Week 6 showing against Denver, there will be no justification to keep him in the starting role — especially against a Panthers defense that ranks 25th in overall EPA allowed.

Glenn must be ready to pull the plug and officially end the Justin Fields experiment if he struggles again today. The Jets can ill afford a repeat of last week’s disaster, and Glenn's future with the team could hinge on it.